Friday, November 30, 2012

Seal of GOD vs. Mark of the Beast: a study

Revelation 14:11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

The bible talks about the mark of the beast as the “mark of his name”. Some have concluded that the name of the beast is “The Papacy” or “The Pope” or “Vicarious filei die” and a few other names. The truth about the name of the beast is much deeper than this. And there is something far more.

The Name or Mark of the Beast

Since it is called “the mark of his name”(Rev 14:11) we can only assume that this name of the beast is written in the forehead. Since it is written:

Revelation 13:16-18 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: (17) And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. (18) Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

These verses describe the fact that the “name of the beast” is received in the “forehead” or in the “hand”. They also allow us to understand that the “name of the beast” is also the “mark of the beast” or the “number of his name” meaning that the name actually is symbolized by a number which is 666.

The Name of the Father The Seal of God

In the following verse we read about 144,000 who receive a name in their forehead:

Rev 14:1 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads.

And the rest of this chapter describes their work and the final controversy which comes down to two groups. One that receives the mark of the beast, or the name of the beast, and another that receives the name of God, or what could be described as God’s mark in their foreheads. (Rev 7:1, Eze 9:4)

Call Upon the Name of the LORD(Jehovah, YHWH)

Many today have read their bibles significantly, and they have seen many verses talking about calling upon the name of the LORD and assumed that this meant that they must say His name in the ancient Hebrew language. For instance, we are told that Abraham “called upon the name of the LORD(Jehovah, YHWH)”(Genesis 12:8). And many have said “Look Abraham used the Hebrew sacred name”. But this is not what it means to “call upon the name of the LORD”. It is written about Abraham:

Exodus 6:3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH(YHWH) was I not known to them.

So let’s be straight here.

1. Abraham called upon the name of JEHOVAH(YHWH)

2. Abraham did not know God by His name JEHOVAH(YHWH)

It almost would seem like a contradiction if we weren’t reading carefully. So, if Abraham didn’t know God by the Hebrew Tetragrammaton(Sacred Name as many call it) YHWH or Jehovah, but yet “called upon the name of JEHOVAH”(Gen 12:8) or YHWH(Tetragrammaton) then what does it actually mean to “call upon the name of the LORD”?

Is it possible that many of those who have studied the pronunciation for years, never to come to the right conclusion have totally misunderstood what the bible was saying about “the name of the LORD”?

SHOW ME YOUR NAME?

This should be your cry. What is your name Father? Teach me your name? We have a document of someone who wanted to know the name of Jehovah? Yet he already knew how to pronounce the name. His name is Moses. Let’s look at the documentation.

In Exodus 6 we read again:

Exodus 6:2-3 And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD(YHWH): (3) And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.

I am YHWH. In Exodus 6. Moses clearly was told the name of YHWH. He knew the name. God told him directly. BUT, there is more to this, because after all of this in a later chapter Moses wants God to proclaim to him His name. To show him His glory, And here is the account:

Exo 33:18 And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.

Moses ask’s God to show Moses His glory. The glory of God is also known as His name as we see if we read the next verse carefully. Notice the answer Jehovah gives:

Exodus 33:19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.

God answers saying “I will proclaim the name of YHWH”. The name of Jehovah/YHWH is also known as His glory. This is what Father is saying He will show to Moses. The pronunciation of the name is given right there, but it’s something more.

Also, notice the characteristics God mentions he will show. “Mercy”, “grace”, “goodness”. This is what God’s name is. This is His glory.

Moses Behold’s God’s Glory, Name, and Character the Next Day

Exo 34:2 And be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning unto mount Sinai, and present thyself there to me in the top of the mount.

Moses is instructed to come to God to receive the 10 commandments on the mountain. And their God is going to show Moses his Glory. But here is what is said

Exodus 34:4-7 And he hewed two tables of stone like unto the first; and Moses rose up early in the morning, and went up unto mount Sinai, as the LORD had commanded him, and took in his hand the two tables of stone. (5) And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. (6) And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, (7) Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.

Here the LORD who told Moses his name the day before, is “proclaiming the name of the LORD” to Moses, showing Moses his glory. He presents him with the ten commandments in stone, then talks about His character, listing the attributes “merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth…forgiving…”

This is what it is to proclaim the name of the LORD. Proclaiming the name of the LORD does not mean pronouncing it properly in the Hebrew tongue, it means reflecting the character of God. Let’s look more at what it is to “declare His name” according to God’s word to see that this truth becomes clearer as we study it.

Jesus declared His NAME or His Character

In John 17, Jesus talks about the Father’s name. And he again likens it to His glory, and declares that His glory, or His goodness, or His character has been shown to the world.

John 17:4-6 I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. (5) And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. (6) I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.

Jesus manifested God’s name. In all the 4 gospels Jesus never once used the sacred name. There is no record of this, but yet he manifested his name. The context of what this means is clear. It’s about “the work” that he was given by the Father to do.

Notice Jesus talking about Father’s love.

John 17:25-26 O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. (26) And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.

This is what is meant by declaring the name. The name can be declared without uttering a word from your own mouth, just by doing the good works of Father with your hands. And by doing them with that mind of Christ, known as the Spirit of God. (1 Corinthians 2)

The Mind and Spirit – Name in the Forehead

Clearly, the issue of receiving the mark of the beast, all comes down to whether you will receive his character. Not the name of the Pope, or the literal Hebrew letters of the Father’s name written in your forehead, but rather, the Spirit you will receive, the mind you will accept.

Deuteronomy 6:5-8 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. (6) And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: (7) And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. (8) And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.(forehead, mind)

This love of God with all our heart, and keeping his commandments will reflect the glory of God. It will proclaim and declare the name of God. And this law that we are to teach our children diligently is to be written not on tables of stone, but in our hearts and minds. What good is it on a stone, if it isn’t in our heart and mind. (2 Corinthians 3-4)

Here we have God’s mark. His seal of his character. About Abraham, we read that he “proclaimed the name of the LORD” but yet didn’t know God “by his name JEHOVAH”. The name was in his forehead. He accepted the seal of God’s character.

Rom 4:11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:

How do they give glory, and what is different between them and those who take the mark of the beast?

Revelation 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

These are Abraham’s seed, and they will receive the seal of Righteousness by faith. The character or name of their Father written in their forehead. They proclaim the name of the LORD by doing his commandments by faith. The faith of Jesus.

Conclusion:

Now there is much more to say on this topic. However, as a foundation to understanding this important topic, I want to conclude with a few points. The name of Father is his character and is much deeper than the using the sacred name(YHWH). Using the sacred name is a non-issue to God. And it does not mean you will receive an extra blessing, or nothing of that nature. If you trust God’s word as it reads, this is faith, and this is what God desires. Simple trust.

The name of the beast is the character of the beast, and the number of his name is 666. A number that is incomplete, a number that represents the character of the beast as we have clearly learned, but it is also “the number of man”. People, who receive the name of the beast and number of his name, will receive the character of the beast and the number of his character.

777 is a representation of the character of God. It is not something that has to do with the Latin name of God, or the beast, calculated in Roman numerals.

Revelation 13:17-18 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. (18) Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

The words number of “a man” should read “number of man”. It is the number of man. And his number is 666.

At creation man was designed to work 6 days. But as for the 7th they were to rest. This rest was symbolic of entering God’s rest by faith. Man cannot achieve what God can do in them by works, thus they must rest at one point and allow God to work in them. Man cannot work on the 7th day, and symbolically, man cannot be 777 by works but without entering God’s rest man is 666.

Rest is something that is done by faith, not of works lest any should boast. Those who do not enter God’s rest, do not enter “because of unbelief (Eph 2:8, Heb 3:18, 4:6,10). And it is the same for those who take the mark of the beast. They fall short of 7, only getting to 6 without rest in God, not realizing that they must rest at 7 and allow the Father to complete them in the same sense that he completes the week.

So they who take the mark of the beast “have no rest”. They don’t accept the Sabbath more fully:

Hebrews 4:4-6 For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works. (5) And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest. (6) Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:

They don’t understand, they have no faith and abide in unbelief. And like those who take the mark of the beast, which will include many, many who keep the Seventh-day, just as it did in the time of the Hebrews who did not enter God’s rest, we are told:

Revelation 14:11-12) … and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. (12) Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

God help us to receive His name by faith, to realize what it is, and how it is received, and to recognize the deeper truth on this issue. That it far surpasses the latin name “Vicarious filei die” translated to Roman numerals. This isn’t what those who take the mark are going to receive in their forehead.

Also to proclaim your name to the world, to give glory, to allow your law to be written in our hearts and minds so that our hands are clean and they show your works.

Ecclesiastes 9:10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

Isa 56:2 Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil.

The hand shows our works. And when our works are unrighteous, the hand may reveal a mark. The mark of the beast or the name of the beast. But if our works are righteous, the name of the Father will be seen in our foreheads, which is His character seen in our life, and if they do have that character and name when Jesus comes, then their destination will also be marked in the forehead“New Jerusalem”.

Revelation 3:11-13 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. (12) Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. (13) He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.